Unifying mechanism and methods to prevent cancer and neurodegenerative diseases

Abstract

The present invention relates to methods for preventing the development of cancer or neurodegenerative diseases by administering N-Acetylcysteine (NAC), melatonin, or a combination thereof. The present invention also relates to methods for diagnosing cancer and/or neurdegenerative disease by detecting or determining the amount of dopamine metabolites, 4-CE, 2-CE, methylation of CE or CE-Q conjugates.

1 . A method for preventing cancer in a mammal comprising administering to the mammal an effective amount of N-acetylcysteine or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof. 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising administering an effective amount of melatonin, resveratrol, and lipoic acid, or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising administering one or more agents that induce quinone reductase. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising administering an effective amount of melatonin or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising administering an effective amount of lipoic acid or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising administering an effective amount of resveratrol or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof. 
     
     
         7 . A method for preventing a pathological condition or symptom in a mammal, such as a human, wherein the production of depurinating DNA adducts from the action of endogenous quinones is implicated and antagonism of such action is desired comprising administering to a mammal in need of such preventive therapy, an effective amount of N-Acetylcysteine, resveratrol, lipoic acid and melatonin or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the pathological condition is cancer. 
     
     
         9 . A method for determining a mammal's risk of developing cancer comprising:
 a) determining the amount of depurinating DNA adducts present in a physiological sample from the mammal;   b) comparing the determined amount to an amount present in a control mammal, wherein an elevated amount of depurinating DNA adducts correlates with the risk of developing cancer.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the physiological sample is a tissue sample. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the tissue is breast tissue. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the tissue is non-breast tissue. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the biological test sample is a fluid. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the fluid is whole blood or blood serum. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the fluid is urine.